Friends Forever?
by K-OfTheSouthernIsles
Summary: After Lidia/Alba falls from the ledge, Carlos is taking drastic measures to protect her and his child. He asks Francisco to take Lidia away to protect her from Carmen and her henchmen.
1. Chapter 1

_**/ Francisco's POV/**_

You win some. You lose some.

Sometimes love is your friend. Sometimes love is your enemy.

You can have a best friend that is like your brother one day and the next day he's sleeping with the love of your life.

One day you can find the love of your life and the next she's sleeping with your best friend.

"Damn." I mutter as I stumble into the edge of the kitchen table and spill part of my drink out.

Do I want to go out and drink tonight or stay home and drink alone?

Before go anywhere, I need to shower.

Yeah. A shower.

Is that the phone ringing?

Surely not.

I set the glass down and meander into the living area. It's definitely ringing.

"Hello?" I clear my throat.

"Francisco. Get here now. I don't have time to explain." Carlos's voice booms over the phone in a panicked way.

"Where? What is the matter?" I answer; instantly putting aside any differences that we might have. He sounds like he's begging for his life.

"To Victoria's. It's for Lidia. Come quickly." Carlos says before slamming the phone on the receiver. Not to much after that really registers with me except that Carlos said that he needs me to help Lidia. That nothing else matters. Whatever I'm doing is not as important as getting to her. The only thought I have, aside from wondering what has happened, is the thought that Carlos was with her when whatever happened took place.

I can only say a thankful prayer that it's dark and it's not too far away, hopefully no one notes my speeding.

By the time I arrive, I'm a sweaty nervous mess. As I bang mercilessly at the door, my heart is pounding out my chest.

"Francisco!" Carlos flings the door open and practically drags me in by my arms.

I almost feel bad for pushing him off.

Almost.

"Where's Alba? Is she okay? What happened?"

"Follow me."

As we rush inside I slam the door shut and dash after Carlos to find Alba. He leads me down some stairs and into the first room.

When I do see her, I feel rage and pity.

Who did this to my Alba?

"Who did this? When did this happen?" I say through gritted teeth.

My beautiful Alba lays still, pale, and bruised. If I were in a different setting, I'd mistake her for being dead. Her breathing is so shallow that I have to strain to see the small rising and falling of her chest and the little twitch of her fingers.

"My mother. The monster. She wanted my child gone. She sent her goons for Lidia, there was an accident. It was about a week ago."

"Why is she not in the hospital? Why is she here?"

"She already went. They looked her over. She fell and lost a lot of blood, but once they gave her the all clear to leave, I took her and left. I didn't want to keep her there long in case my mother tried to attack her again. There's a possibility of a concussion. Her arm is broken. And-"

"And the child?"

"For now, it's okay. But, that's not to say that something might happen later."

"Why didn't you protect her?! Why?! How could you let her get hurt?!" I get in Carlos's face and drag him from the room Alba is in.

We're standing in what seems to be a burlesque parlor.

"Young Man, if you do not lower your voice, I'm gonna kick you out." Victoria enters the room and takes a seat with a drink and a cigarette. "Now, do you want to know why we called you here or do you want to continue to act like a caveman?"

It hadn't occurred to me that they didn't have to call me until just now. Now, I am curious as to why they did summon me.

"What do you want from me?" I release Carlos's collar from my grasp.

"Take her far away as possible. Take her somewhere safe. Nothing matters but keeping them safe. Nothing else matters! Take her to a different town, different country, or different continent; whatever it takes. Promise me. Promise me you'll take care of them. My mother's henchmen are probably keeping close tabs on me and I won't be able to hide as well as you can. You can protect her better than I can. You have to. Lidia asked for you. She wants you to take her away from here." Carlos shakes me by the shoulders. "They are in danger here. You have to protect them."

"Carmen did this?" I don't know why I sound so shocked. "You bastard."

Punching Carlos probably won't solve anything, but it felt good to.

He deserves it anyway.

"You should have left her alone. If you hadn't got involved with her then this wouldn't have happened! You almost got her killed! I wish that she never had set foot in that cursed building."

Carlos holds his jaw while trying to move it slightly.

"No one regrets this accident more than me. Don't turn this about me and you when it should be about her."

My hands clench firm at my sides in an effort to not swing at him again.

Everything starts sinking in.

Alba's life is in danger.

She's asking me to protect her.

"You have to hide her until the child is born. Once it's born, my mother can do nothing about it. Well, not at least without being charged with murder." Carlos interrupts my thoughts.

"She might consider it worth it."

He just slowly nods as if he already thought of that.

"That's what scares me. It's most important that you don't tell anyone where you go, not her friends, not me. Don't call or send letters. There's no telling what resources my mother has. Not until the baby is born and Lidia is able to travel can you return. And then we'll see what happens."

I turn to Victoria, who has a packet of papers and is going through them.

"Should you accept, we have all the papers you'll need to hide away. Also, some money. Can we count on you? Alba sure believed she could. She asked for you. Carlos wanted her to pick you to leave with even though all her other friends offered." Victoria neatly folds the manila envelope back.

My mind doesn't even comprehend them staring at me because of all the information flying though my head.

Alba asked for me?

"You see, I can't protect her. As I said earlier, my mother could track me down, but you know how to disappear. You can protect her. I know you won't let anything happen to her. I know you love her and you know this baby is what she wants. Please, do this for her."

"She came up with this plan?"

"Mostly." Carlos reaches over to Victoria for the packet and other things. "Here, I took one of Eliza's purses and fit as much money in it that I can. It should help you get a place to stay. If I had more money I would give it to you but I had to be discreet so Mother wouldn't notice."

I silently note that it's the purse that I bought for her birthday the first year we were married.

"We have Angeles on standby ready to get train tickets. Marga is packing Lidia's clothes and things to bring them here. We just need you to say that you'll do this."

"It's all so sudden. You're ready to us to leave nearly instantly."

"I'm afraid that my mother's henchmen will find her, even here. She's relentless. Will you do it or not?"

"I'll need to go pack my things."

"Take Sara with you. She, Miguel, and Carlota are around here somewhere. They're patrolling the area. But you'll get done a lot quicker if you have more hands to help."

"I'll go alone. If your mother is watching the place, I don't want to leave with any of Alba's friends."

"Thank you, Francisco." Carlos tries to reach out towards me but I side step.

"I'm not doing this for you." I take another step away. "I'll meet you at the train station in two hours. Go ahead and tell Angeles to get those tickets. But for somewhere not too far away. From that stop, we'll change directions so that no one knows where we're going."

"Good thinking." Victoria flicks her cigarette butt into her empty drink glass. "I always knew you were more than just a pretty face."

"Drop Alba off. Tell her that I'll met her at Platform 3. Don't bring more than two bags. We need to keep it light in case we have to leave quickly."

* * *

"Francisco."

I hear my name lightly to my left.

"Francisco. Here." I lock in on a blonde headed Alba.

"Alba?" She's so pale, almost deathly. The blonde hair is not doing her any favors. It makes her look paler than she already is.

"Shhhh. Don't say my name."

"What have you done to yourself?"

She pats the bench, motioning for me to sit with her.

In all honesty, she seems pretty pitiful with her arm wrapped and hanging in a sling. I'm sure that I'm going to receive some dirty looks from the people passing by. Little do they know that the only reason that I would ever lay a finger on her would be to run them down her back to pull her closer to me.

I set my luggage on the bench then sit down too.

"Francisco." She stiffly turns her neck. "Act happy to see me and give me a hug. We need to not seem suspicious."

"Of course." I lean in and wrap both my arms around her.

The awkwardness that I feared has come to light, I'm not sure what to say or even why I agreed to do this.

Because Alba needs me. That's why.

"Do you think you were followed? Or that anyone is suspicious?"

"No. But, we've got to be able to pull this off perfectly. I'm putting my child's life in your hands. Can I count on you?"

"I don't think I have to answer that seeing that you're the one who requested to have me go with you."

"I don't think I was followed, but make sure you keep your hat on and hide your face as much as possible. Whether it's behind a newspaper or book, just anything." Her hand caresses the back of my head. "Don't make too much of a scene. Stay close so we don't get separated."

Her lips brush my ear every few words.

I scoot closer to wrap my arm over her shoulders and our faces move closer. We probably really look like lovers right now. My finger toys with the bottom of her hair.

"I'm willing to risk everything for this child. If anything is to happen and it's either the child or me, my wish is to save the child. Do not be selfish and choose me. Is that clear?"

I pull away from the hug to see her face up close. She's had to have done something with make up to cause her to look so different.

Who could do this to her? Who could hurt her?

"Is that clear, Francisco? Let me hear you say it."

"It's crystal clear...But what did you do to your hair?" I couldn't help but ask. "It's -."

"It's just a wig."

"I was kind of worried that you actually did that yourself."

Just for a few more seconds passes before we really pull apart.

"Our train leaves in 30 minutes on Platform 6."

"Then we better get a move on it. Where are we heading?"

"Segovia." She opens up her new purse to pull out the tickets for confirmation.

"Good. Then we'll have to decide where we wanna go from there. Do any of your friends know where we're going?"

"No. Originally Angeles was going to get the tickets but that would have put her at risk. I just bought them when I got here. You said to be here around 11:30, so I picked the first train to be leaving after that. Here. This is for you." She digs around in the purse to pull out a wallet. "We'll have plenty of money for a while if we stay thrifty."

Where did this come from? Carlos?

"Just keep it on you for now. I have my own wallet. Plus, the money is for you anyway. I don't need to be in charge of it."

"It's for both of us. To keep us afloat while we're away."

I really want to make a sly comment on how I didn't need another man's money, but for now, I do. Perhaps, I can get a job when we find a safe town. It won't need to be a great job. I'll only need it for a few months. Perhaps a repair man or work on cars.

Wearily, she tries to stand up and this pulls me from my thoughts.

"Let me." I extend my hand over to her non-injured hand and help lift her.

"Thank you."

When she's steady, I take our luggage from the bench. Her eyes look so weak and her face so pale.

I'm gonna have to put her to rest once we find a place to stay.

"Did anyone tell anything about our new names? Or our backstory?"

"No." I shake my head. "I didn't really stick around long enough. I left rather quickly to pack up my things."

She carries herself as if nothing is wrong though.

Alba is so brave.

But, why did I agree to this? There's no way possible for this to have a happy ending for me. I mean, I'm just taking care of her for a few months until she can return to Carlos. She's running away to protect Carlos's child. There's nothing for me to benefit from in this scenario.

The benefit is seeing Alba happy.

I'll have to keep telling myself that.

No matter what happens to me. I didn't spend the last ten years looking for her only to ruin my only chance to be there for her.

"So, what are our new names? We should probably start using those as soon as we board the train."

"I'm Irene. You're Ivan Espinoza. Newly weds. Looking to start our own home."

"But, you're already pregnant, I don't think society would look kindly upon newly weds already expecting a child."

"Fine. We're not newly weds. We've just decided to make a fresh start for ourselves to raise our family." Alba sounds irritated. "Does that sound better?"

"Do we have rings?"

She shows me her hand with a wedding band on it.

"Yours is in the wallet."

I swerve to avoid bumping into a lamp post.

"What day did we get married on?"

"I don't know." For a second she counts on her fingers. "April 28, 1929."

It takes me a moment to roll that date around in my head.

"Did we have a big wedding or a small wedding?"

"Small."

"And, how far along are you with the pregnancy?"

"4 months."

"Alright. So, we're married, with a child on the way, and we're off to stake our claim in the world. Sounds pretty cliche."

She doesn't say anything but her limp has face saying 100 words.

"So, what do I do for a living?" I inquire.

"You don't have a job. That's why we're moving. But what do you want your old job to be?"

"I work really well with cars, so let's go with that. What about you? You're an obedient housewife? I suppose that it would be the most believable since you're with child."

If looks could kill, I wouldn't have drawn my next breath.

"I suppose so."

"We could say that I work on cars and that I'm looking for work. That'll also give me an opportunity to find work. We'll need to find a cheap place to rent so that you rest. We'll want to avoid hotels and motels, I'm sure that Carmen is scanning through all the neighboring cities and towns. What about our families? Do we have any connections? Or are we leaving them behind?"

"I don't care. Just stop with the questions." She looks like she could pass out from the walking so I slow down.

We still have plenty of time to make it to the platform.

"Why don't you sit here for a moment?"

There was no resistance on her part. She nodded and reached out for the bench. The blush covering her face was very concerning.

"I'm gonna go find out which train car is ours, so you just rest here. Alright? I'll drop the bags off then come back for you."

She only nods and lowers herself to the seat.

I take our baggage along with me, it's not much, two suitcases for her and one for myself. Our train is further away than I originally thought, I'm glad that Alba didn't push herself to keep going.

There's just no way that we can stop at Segovia. That's too simple. Too easy.

But will Alba be able to travel further than that tonight?

I highly doubt it. She'll need rest.

So, stop for the night in Segovia then plan out the route from there.

Finally, I locate the train car then our seats. I store our luggage and feel okay with leaving it there because there's not too many people who travel this late at night. The only pairs of people I see is an elderly woman being escorted by her husband, both is black with sullen faces. A few seats away from the couple is a drunk man passed out with his hat lazily tilted to the side. A small group of nuns, maybe 4 or 5, accompanied by a priest. Odd to be seeing at this time of night but maybe they've had an urgent house call.

As I make my way back to Alba I become confused. She's not where I left her.

She's not there.

I look right where I left her but she's not there.

Where is she?

"Shit." I mutter under my breath.

Why did I leave her alone? What if they were waiting to snatch her the entire time? And I just left her there, out in the open.

"Excuse me. Did you see the woman who was sitting right here? Her arm is broken?" I ask of the attendant who stands nearby.

"No, Sir. I have not seen her. I just started my shift."

"Thanks anyway."

I turn my head in every direction to scan the station.

A few feet away another set of attendants stand so I ask them if they've seen her and they have the same response as the first one. So I continue on trying to be rational and know she didn't just evaporate into thin air and if she were to be grabbed, she would have screamed and someone would have heard her. I would have heard her.

As I pass the bathroom, I realize that I didn't think to check inside there.

After looping back to the original spot that she was in, I see her sitting on the bench against the wall just outside the bathroom. Her head laid back against the wall and her eyes shut.

A quick sigh of relief.

As I approach Alba I can tell something is not right so I quicken my pace and squat down in front of her.

"What happened? Did you get hurt? Is something wrong?"

"I was just sick in the bathroom. Nothing to be concerned about."

"Do you need something? A drink? To lie down?"

"No. Everything just hurts." She holds herself with a grimace on her face. "I'm in so much pain and stress that I'm worried about losing the baby. I'm trying to calm down but you left me and I got scared because there's no way I can defend myself. So I was hiding in the bathroom and being sick."

"You're not going to think about it because when you're thinking about it, you're causing yourself to stress. You'll lose focus. But you can't do that, can you? No. You've got to stay on top on your game. Never before has staying focused and rational been more important. I know you understand that. Just keep moving forward with no looking back. Got it?"

She nods her head, regaining her rational thoughts and mindset.

"Now, are you actually physically hurting?"

"It's nothing that I can't handle. We should get going. Don't want to miss that train."

"Yeah. Yeah. We should get a move on it."

I can see it in her eyes.

She doesn't have it in her.

I try to give her the dignity of trying, but I can't watch her suffer.

"Come on, Dear. Allow me." I scoop her up and she wraps her arms around my neck. "We're newly weds, aren't we? Why don't we act like it?"

"Thank you, Francisco." She whispers. "Thank you."


	2. Chapter 2

Francisco's mind slowly awakens when his head slipped a little too far off the the headrest of his seat. His eyes take a moment to adjust. If he remembers correctly, the time should be around 1:30 in the morning. For a brief second he thinks about stretching then notices that Alba's head is resting on his shoulder.

Just for a moment, he lays his head back on hers. He feels just a hint of guilt for taking this moment but he may never get the chance again and she'll never know.

His still heavy eyes can see Alba's hand cupping over her lower abdomen. It makes a small smile twitch at the corner of his mouth and he wonders if she can feel her baby moving inside. She's going to love when that happens. He can just imagine her smile and amazement, especially if she thought she would never have children.

The train begins to slow down and inside Francisco feels his stomach drop. He didn't want to wake Alba.

"Excuse me, Sir. This is the last stop for the night. Would you mind to wake up the Missus?" The conductor walks up the aisle behind Francisco and stops to speak in a low tone as to not disturb Alba. The lights of the station come into view now.

"Of course. But once we stop, could we have a few extra minutes to gather our things? She is feeling rather weak. I'll need to help her off the train then get our belongings."

"I would be happy to help you with your luggage."

"That would be very helpful. Thank you."

The conductor just gives a nod and continues on to wake the other passengers.

Francisco tries to remember what Alba's new name is but can't pull it up in his memory.

"Darling, it's time to wake up." His thumb gently brushes against her cheek.

At first you can see the confusion across her face, almost as if she half expected all that had just happened to have been some weird dream.

She unintentionally moans when she tries to move her stiff body.

"I'm sorry to wake you but we've got to get off. Our stop is coming up."

Her eyes shut back briefly.

"I don't feel well." She uses her hand to cover her eyes. "I feel very sick."

The shaking of the train coming to a stop really wasn't helping either.

"It's alright. If you can wait a few more minutes, I'll get you to a restroom. Just keep your eyes closed and stay calm."

She tries to slow her breathing to push down the encroaching wave of sickness that was trying to push up her throat. Francisco silently hopes that they make it to the station before she loses it.

The conductor comes back to them once the train stops and gathers their few items of luggage then sets them down by a bench.

"Come on. I've got you."

Her head slowly lifts but the nausea still came fast. He takes her good hand and leads her off the train.

"Excuse me, Sir. Where is the nearest restroom?" Francisco asks of an attendant that was standing nearby.

"It'll be right beside the station's entrance. It's just-." He didn't even have time to finish explaining before Alba is retching in the trashcan.

Francisco quickly reaches to pull her hair back even though some of it already had vomit on it.

"I'm so sorry."

"Don't apologize. You couldn't help it."

"Is there anything that I can get for the lady? A drink of water perhaps?"

"Please. Some water would be much appreciated. Thank you."

Francisco takes the handkerchief from his pocket and tries to clean out Alba's hair.

"Are you okay?"

"I don't know. I don't know if I'm sick because I haven't ate or sick because I thought about eating."

She heaves before retching again.

Francisco wipes at her face once more then ties the handkerchief up in her hair to restrain it and uses his hand to rub her back.

Soon the attendant returns with a small cup of water.

"Thank you." Francisco takes it from him. "I told her not to eat seafood before traveling but she didn't listen."

"Good advice that I'm sure she'll take next time, Sir. Might there be anything else that I could assist you with?"

"I need two tickets for the next train heading East. The one leaving as soon as possible. You see we're due to be in Barcelona for my cousin's wedding. I'm the best man but we missed our first train yesterday and we're far behind our schedule and with the added sickness, aye aye aye." He shakes his head. "The wedding is in two days. Is there anything that you can do?"

"Alright, Sir, I will see what I can do. Just wait a moment while I see what I have available."

"Thank you. Thank you."

He nods before walking a few feet away to a ticket booth.

When Francisco turns back to Alba, she's finally standing upright.

"Why did you lie to him? I didn't eat seafood."

"We don't need to announce that you're pregnant everywhere we go. In fact, it needs to stay under wraps as much as possible for as long as possible. If anyone is following us, all they'd need is a picture of us and to ask if the girl in the photo came by but only with child. Our cover would be blown."

"I did a pretty decent job with the wig and make up. "

"You did but don't you see my point? Until it's undeniable that you're actually pregnant, we need to not mention it. In all honesty, we don't even need to talk to many people. Coming across as unforgettable should be our number one priority."

"It is a good strategy, I'll admit."

The attendant starts to walk towards them again so Alba tries to straighten herself up.

"All I've got is a train leaving in an hour to Soria."

"We'll take it."

Again the attendant leaves to retrieve the tickets.

Alba, realizing that her hair isn't brushing her shoulders anymore, reaches to find the makeshift hair tie that Francisco had made.

"What is this?"

"Let's just say you're not the first lady that I've assisted while she's spilling out her guts." He shrugs with a little scrunch of the face and pats his pocket for his cigarette case.

"I didn't realize party girls were your type."

"There's a lot about me you don't realize... So, what are we going to do for an hour?" He lights the cigarette and takes a seat on the bench.

"Maybe we could find somewhere to eat or sleep. I need to do one of those two things. I won't make it much longer without them."

"I doubt that anything will be open at this time of night except for clubs and bars and I doubt that-."

Just when Alba thought the sickness was over for the moment, another wave took her over.

"I'm guessing that you don't want to eat at a bar then." Fran teases a little. "Are you gonna be one of those pregnant ladies that gets sick at every little thing? If so, this is going to be a long couple of months."

"Shut up." She says into the trash bin.

Fran hands over the cup of water once again.

"I think it's the cigarette. The smell of it."

He mutters under his breath and tosses it away.

"Here's your tickets, Sir."

"Ah, thank you." Francisco takes out his wallet and hands the man a big bill. "Keep the change. It's a little 'Thank You' for all your assistance. You've been very helpful."

The attendant gawked at the money.

"But, Sir, I couldn't. It's too much."

"It's really not. I insist."

"Thank you very much! Might there be anything else that you need my help with?"

"You know what, -" Fran glances at the name badge. "Hector. I could actually use you just once more. Could you tell if anywhere around here is open to sell food at this hour?"

"Unfortunately not, but I do have a key to the snack stand. I could get you something from there, if you like."

"That would be lovely." Alba keeps her distance but tries to become part of the conversation. "Would you know if they have any crackers? Or something like that?"

"I can see what they have available, Ma'am."

"Thank you."

Alba reaches for the bench then takes a seat.

It's been a pretty long day. Not to mention that Francisco spent half of it drunk and Alba's body is not completely healed from falling off of a building then add a bumpy train ride to the mix and it's really difficult to understand how they're remaining so collected. They're so tired that all they know is that they're hungry, hurting, and want nothing more than a bed to fall into.

"You know what?" Francisco tries to start a conversation to keep them awake. "I still don't know how we ended up on the run. What happened that sent you to the hospital?"

For a moment, she reflects on the events that lead up to her accident.

"Carmen."

"Did it have something to do with the deal that you made with her? With the money? About getting a-"

"Yes." Alba abruptly cuts him off and takes a sip of the water. "She was trying to make sure that my end of the deal was held up. A few men grabbed me up and forced me to the clinic. They dragged me in, strapped me down to a table, and started taking off my undergarments."

Her voice shakes and so do Francisco's hands. He doesn't want to believe what he's hearing.

"I was trying to fight them off, but there were so many of them. I pleaded and begged and cried but it was like they were all deaf. Then Carlos shows up and unties me from the table. As I'm running for my life, I end up out on the ledge of the building. I lose my balance. I fall."

"Stop talking. Please." Francisco places his hand over his brow line and sighs heavily. "She's such a monster. I know that she always wanted to control Carlos's life but that is just extremely ... brutal. You should have never told Carlos that it was his child. None of this would have happened."

"And what? Lie to everyone? Who were they going to think was the father then?"

"I would have, if had let me of course, taken care of that matter. But obviously your heart yearns for Carlos and every move he makes. Even if they've all betrayed you."

"You never said that before. And how could you raise another man's child? It's not even something I'd consider asking you to do. How could I?"

"You were with me when you found out that you were pregnant. I would have done anything to keep you with me."

"You know that everyone would know it was his child when they saw it."

"We wouldn't have had to stay in Madrid. I would've have taken you anywhere."

"Don't you understand? I didn't want anyone controlling my life. I earned my spot in the company and I didn't want to lose that. I didn't want to lose my friends. And look where it all got me. I have no job and no friends."

"Thanks for that."

"You know what I mean." She looks over at him. "You're my dearest friend."

He smiles a fake smile and stands up.

"Here we go." Hector returns carrying 2 cups of coffee, 2 churros, and a small package of crackers.

"You're a lifesaver. Thank you."

They don't say much more while they snack or for the remaining time until their train arrives. Francisco circles a 20 foot area while Alba tries her best to freshen up in the restroom. With the amount of time that she's taking, she could have been taking a full bath. Francisco takes into consideration that he could at least wash his face and brush his teeth. It'll make him feel better for another long trip.

He hurries through his tasks as the train starts to pull into the station.

"You should put your hat back on." Alba is waiting for him to walk out the door of the men's room and places the hat on his head. It tilts just enough to the side to keep his eyes hidden too. His eyebrows raise a little when he sees that Alba has changed her make up again and her wig is restyled. "If you can't keep it on, we might consider putting one of my wigs on you."

"I'm sure that you would find that enjoyable."

"Perhaps. We could travel as sisters. Instead of Francisco, you could be Francesca." She smiles but her eyes scream for sleep.

"All aboard!"

"Ready to go?" He asks while picking up the bags.

"As ready as I'll ever be."

She takes out the tickets from her purse and shows them to the new conductor as they board.

Their eyes struggle to keep open once they get on. The coffee was of no help but with something finally on their stomachs, they felt satisfied.

"You should get some sleep." Alba glances up at Francisco before taking his seat. "We'll be fine on the train for a while. You look exhausted."

"That's because I am. How far are we going to travel in one night? Are we going past Soria?" He lowers into his seat.

"No. I don't think so. Not tonight anyway. Maybe we could rest for a few days and come up with a better thought out plan than hopping from train to train. I don't honestly think I can make another trip for a few days. Unless this terrible feeling eases up."

"Well, I've got news for you; you're going to feel a lot worse before it gets better. But about the traveling, we're going to get to Soria around 4 in the morning, right? More than likely some restaurant will be open for the working class people to get breakfast. We can stop in, eat, ask where the nearest hotels are, and hopefully make it there before daylight breaks. We've made pretty good tracks so far. Don't you think?"

"Mmhmm." Her eyes are already closed and she's slipping off to sleep.

More people are on this ride than on the previous trip. It makes Francisco nervous but he tells himself that they're fine and he'll be no good to her exhausted.

He feels a little disappointed that she's using her coat as a pillow against the window this time and not leaning on him. This way though, he gets to look at her. Her beautiful face, despite the bruises, has Francisco transfixed. If he could freeze this moment, he would sit here for hours. If only he could sketch, this would be the opportunity.

The train starts to depart and his eyes stay on her, he's worried that the motions will awake her.

Hushed conversations buzz around the train and some children whine about being sleepy.

Since his cigarette got interrupted earlier, he pulls out another one for a second attempt. Hopefully, he wouldn't be getting a hangover from all his drinking earlier in the night. That's the last thing he needs but his head is starting to hurt. It could be due to the lack of sleep too. Or the lack of real food.

He makes a mental note to make sure that Alba eats a real meal soon. She's pregnant and she has to keep up her strength.

"Alba, there's something that I need to get off my chest. I know you're asleep and you won't know I told you but still I can't hold it on any longer." He takes a long drag from his cigarette and looks back over at her. "I'm sorry for how I treated you that day in my house. Remember? The day you told that you were pregnant. I told you to get out but I should have told you to stay. I should have told you that it didn't matter if you were pregnant with another man's child and that no one had to know but us. But part of me knew that you weren't going to do that. I knew that I lost you. That was the point of no return."

He chuckles.

"I can't believe that I thought we were gonna have a love that people talked about. Like Romeo and Juliet, only with a happy ending. I thought we were gonna make all of our friends jealous with how in love we were... My heart still tells me that I am right. That we can have that. You've always been the missing part of me. I never knew that you weren't missing me all this time. I thought once we were back together, we were never going to need anything else and thought you'd forget Carlos... But unfortunately my brain knows better. But I don't regret that you're back in my life. It brought me a certain peace to know that you're alive. If you never came, I'd have lived my entire life as empty. I'd never have filled the hole you left in my heart. I don't resent the child, after all, it's not his fault that it was made, right? In fact, Alba, I pictured something just like this. Us running away and raising that baby. I know your heart is set on Carlos but my heart will never stop longing for you."

Mentally he tells himself to stop talking before he wakes Alba up.

"Good night, Alba. I'm gonna take care of you. You'll see. As long as you're happy, nothing else matters."

He takes off his coat and drapes it over her.


	3. Chapter 3

As the train rambles on, Alba is the first to awake this time, though she wishes with all her might that she wasn't. She's exhausted and feels worse with every passing moment. Being pregnant never looked this hard or uncomfortable from the outside. How do women do this multiple times?

She's not even that far along with the pregnancy. The baby can't be big enough to be causing problems this massive.

The shaking of her chair is making everything worse, especially the pain in her broken arm. She's taken the sling off so that people will stop staring at her and without that support the bone aches with the gravity pulling it.

There's nothing for her to even do to distract herself. It's pitch dark outside so there's no point in looking out the window. There's not even much lighting on the train even if she had a magazine or book.

_"I suppose that I can start think of names for you." _Alba thinks to herself while looking down at her stomach. _"Are you a boy? Or are you a girl? Huh?"_

Alba smiles while placing her hand over the place where her baby is growing. For now, her belly just feels hard. There's no movement but she knows that inside her treasure rests peacefully.

_"What do you think about ... Ramsey? Jose? Julio? Andres? Or maybe after your father? Carlos Junior? No. No. No. I don't like that either. But those were all boy names. You could be a girl, so what about Alicia? Jacinta? Maite? Ana? Maria? I have more time to think about it but it doesn't hurt to start throwing some ideas out there. Oh, Baby, I can't wait to meet you. You are going to be so loved. I'm going to give you everything that your heart desires. And if I don't, your father will. And if we both say no, then your crazy aunts will. If all of us fail you... I'm about to let you in on a little something, Darling. When everyone else fails you, that includes me, there is someone that will always pull through for you. His name is Francisco. I know he'll always come through for you because he always does for me. He'll teach you valuable skills that will better prepare you for life than your father can. No offense, but your father was raised very rich and never had to do anything for himself. Francisco, on the other hand, is very knowledgeable about skills other than sitting behind a desk. He and I have worked hard for everything we have. I want you to be appreciative of what's given to you."_

Her eyes wander over to the sleeping man beside her.

His mouth is slightly open and a loose wave of hair dangles over his forehead.

Alba can't say that she was entirely shocked that Francisco actually showed up after Carlos called him. A little tiny part of her was worried that she had betrayed him too many times for him to forgive, but (with a twinge of guilt) she knew that he wouldn't let her down. She knows that he would do anything for her.

For a moment she remembers the look on his face when she told him that she was pregnant. The betrayal, hurt, and anger all swelling in his eyes is too painful to remember. They almost had their chance but because she had to make a mistake and trust the wrong person, their relationship paid the price.

But for a small amount of time, they really were happy. They were living the dream that they'd both imagined and re-imagined over the last 10 years.

_"Returning to Carlos was the right thing to do though. It is his child after all. He needs to be responsible. Francisco once said that he'd raise the child with me but how could I ask that of him? I couldn't. He might love me but how could a man raise another man's child? It seems that it might work on paper but actually living it out, that's a whole other game. Wouldn't some part of him slightly resent the child for not being his own? Wouldn't there be a unfulfilled hole inside of him knowing that it's not actually his own blood? And if he ended up having a child of his own, would he love it greater than this child?"_

Alba bolts upright in the chair as a wave of sickness washes over her. Her hand covers her mouth as she makes her way to the restroom. That little bit of coffee and churros comes right back up.

_"Will it be like this much longer? It can't be. There won't be much of me left if I can't keep any of my food down."_

Alba moans after she rinses her mouth out with the good arm then lays back against the wall. What she wouldn't give for a decent bath, some pain medicine, and a meal that wouldn't come back up. They agreed though that this next stop would be it for a few days so that should give them time to recuperate and think straight.

"Are you okay, Ma'am? Are you sick?" A little girl with pigtails asks as Alba steps out of the restroom.

"No. No. I'm fine." Alba shakes her head. "Where's your family? Why are you awake by yourself?"

Alba scans the dimly lit train car for other awake people but the only other person up is the conductor.

"Because I don't like to be in the dark. I don't like to sleep because then I have bad dreams. I don't like being asleep."

"But you're not afraid to be alone?"

"Not on the train. That's why my uncle lets me come along with him. I ride the train all night and we return home by the morning."

"Your uncle?"

"The conductor is my uncle... So why are you awake?" She rocks back on he heels.

Alba smiles softly at the nosy girl.

"I wasn't feeling well."

"Why? Are you sick?"

"No. I'm not sick. I'm going to have a baby and the train ride is making me feel ... queasy."

Her nose turns up while giving a confused look.

"Your baby in your belly is making you sick?"

"It happens to every woman when she carries a baby."

"Really?"

"Of course. Do you not have any little brothers, sisters, or cousins?" Alba supports her bad arm with her good hand in efforts to relieve some of the pain.

"I have a few cousins that are my age."

"Well then..."

"Can you feel the baby moving inside you?" She moves to an empty area of the car just a few steps away. "Does it hurt? Is that why you were sick just now?"

"It's not quite that simple, you see." Alba tries to find a way to skirt out of that conversation. "Do you have anyone to talk to or something to read"?

"Yeah. I have a book but I've read it a few times. I just like to walk around and think up stories about the people who are traveling. You don't look like you're going to have a baby. Usually women who are going to have a baby are fat." She crosses her little arms over her chest and flops down in a vacant seat.

"Babies start out small inside their mother's belly then they grow until they're big enough to be born."

The girl ponders the response for a moment.

"...How do the babies get in their mommy's belly?"

Alba mentally slaps her forehead.

Why is she having this conversation with a 6 year old?

"Well...uhm..."

"You don't know how your baby got your belly?" The witty girl inquires.

"I do. Babies get in their mommy's belly because a mommy and a daddy love each other very very much until one day they have so much love that they can't possibly hold the love between themselves anymore and a baby appears in the mommy's belly."

"Why does it go to the mommy's belly?"

"Because, the daddy has to work really hard to make money and the mommy can stay at home to take care of the baby."

How many more questions can there be? Can I change the subject?

"That makes sense. My mom was always at home with me."

She seems to revert back into her own mind with a saddened look on her face.

"I didn't get your name. What is it?"

"Eloise." She lifts her head. "What about you? What's your name?"

"I'm Irene. It's nice to meet you. Also, it's nice to have some company on this train ride. I was getting lonely. Would you mind if I sit with you for a while?"

Say what you will, Alba felt guilty for trying to leave this little one alone. And with no one watching her, it's potentially not safe to leave her by herself.

"Are you traveling alone?"

"No." Alba says as she sinks into her seat. "My husband is asleep and he snores so I won't complain if I don't have to go back there and listen to that."

Alba makes a quiet mock of a snore and Eloise giggles.

"What's his name? Does he know that he's going to be a daddy?"

"Pardon?" Alba felt stuck to her spot.

She hadn't really thought of people calling Francisco the father of her child. Yes, they had said that in the plan, but when it actually happened it just seemed... different.

"Your husband. You said a mommy and a daddy love each other so much that they make a baby, right?"

"Yes. I did say that. His name is Ivan. And yes. He does know that there's a baby in here." Alba gives her belly a small pat. "I would hope that he's excited but he's not said as much. I thought that I wasn't going to be able to have a baby, so this news came as a shock."

"Why did you think that you could have a baby? Because your husband didn't love you enough?"

"No. No. Nothing like that. Just sometimes bodies don't work right. I know you don't know what that means, but one day you will."

"Is it a boy or a girl? How do you tell?"

"I won't know until it's born."

"When will that be?"

"I'm not sure. I'm going to have to go to a doctor and he can tell me."

"How can the doctor know?"

"You know, you ask a lot of questions for someone so small." Alba rubs underneath her tired eyes.

"I like to learn. I've read all 4 the books in my house. My aunt and uncle got me a book for my birthday this year. It's my absolute favorite."

"Do you like to read about fairy tales or about science, math, and history."

"All of them. I like to know it all."

Alba chuckles.

"I bet you do. Stay that way. Learn all that you can so that you'll be smarter than anyone you meet and no one will be better than you. If you know more then you can do more."

"Like what?"

"Like anything. What do you wanna be when you grow up? Do you wanna be a teacher, a doctor, actress, scientist, a mayor, policewoman, or businesswoman?"

"I don't know. I didn't know that I could be any of that."

"You can be anything. Promise me that you won't give up on learning all you can so that you can be whatever you decide to be. And you might be a bit young for this but don't let any man make decisions for you. Any decision you make, make it because you want to do it. Not because of what anyone else. Just you and whatever you set your mind to do."

Eloise looks at Alba with a not-understanding look but she knows that it must be important.

Something in Alba hopes that the young girl keeps that with her through life.

"What book have you got?"

"_Pride and Prejudice._"

"I don't think I've read that one. Would it be okay if we read it together? I could read aloud."

"Sure."

Alba reaches out for the book and motions for Eloise to come sit by her.

"Cozy?"

"Yes, Ma'am."

_"It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife." Alba begins to read with the little girl's head resting on her shoulder..."_

For a few paragraph's Alba reads lowly to the girl in hopes that she would fall asleep.

"Ma'am, I am so very sorry. Eloise, get up now." The conductor gently ushers the girl to stand up. "Ma'am, I am sorry for her to have bothered you. How can I make this inconvenience up to you? Eloise, you know better."

"She's not bothering me at all. In fact, she was keeping me company. Leave her be."

The conductor looks puzzled as Alba defends the little girl.

"It's not her place to be here. She isn't supposed to bother the passengers."

"She's not bothering me. We are keeping each other company. Now, if you don't mind, I was in the middle of this chapter. Thank you." Alba pulls the girl back to the seat and resumes reading as the conductor stands there with his mouth open like a codfish. "Is there something I can help you with or are you going to continue to stand there?"

"Sorry, Ma'am. Just... you don't have to watch after my niece. I'm sure that you'd rather be sleeping at this hour."

"Yes, I would but unfortunately I'm not able to sleep. For some reason or another, my brain is just too active for sleep. Eloise has been very nice to talk with me and share this book."

The night dredges on with no sleep for Alba but Eloise definitely got a visit from the sand man after a few more chapters.

She continues to read the book to herself until her headache would no longer permit so then she just sat there with her eyes closed. Silently she was hoping for sleep to take her over. Every inch of her body aches, what she's eaten has come back up, and she's sweating like she never has before in her life.

Another shake of the seat causes her eyes to open and when they do, she notices the conductor sitting across from her with his eyes on Eloise.

His pensive stare seems to have him lost in thought but Alba has a question of her own.

"Why does she stay up all night? Why is she not at a school or at home?"

His gaze shifts to Alba with a small sad smile.

"She has horrific night terrors. She doesn't get much sleep at night because of them." He adjusts in his seat to sit up straighter.

"What causes them, if I may ask?"

"I guess just the bad memories. She saw her parents get ..." He draws a painful look on his face. "... Murdered. It's left her pretty messed up."

A shutter runs through Alba's body.

"That's so terrible for her the have seen that." Alba looks down at the sleeping girl whose head rests on her lap. "She's so young."

"She's tough. She deserves a lot of credit for not being shell shocked all the time. If we could only get past these night terrors then we'd be okay."

"It must be hard to go to sleep when you know you're gonna be defenseless if something were to happen."

"That why she usually sleep during the day when she knows that we're awake. My wife and I, we take care of her now. She comes with me when I have long shifts so that my wife can actually get some rest. It's been hard for sure. She used to wake up screaming and kicking. That went on for months. It became easier for her to stay awake all night and sleep during the day. She would keep herself occupied with studies. I believe that's why she's so smart."

"Does she not go to a proper school?"

"How could she? She stays up all night and sleeps all day... You know, I've not gotten your name yet, Miss."

"Mrs. Irene Espinoza. Yourself?"

"Pedro Rodriguez. Pleased to meet you. I really just want to thank you for being so kind to Eloise. Not many people would take kindly to a poor child invading their space as you have." He raises out of the chair with a stretch.

"I will say again; it's quite alright. Sure she had a lot of questions but in a funny way. I actually enjoyed talking with someone who isn't trying to shove their ideas or politics down my throat. Talking about how babies are made definitely was a fresh topic." Alba covers her mouth to hide a chuckle. "Trying to explain that without actually explaining it was tedious."

"Leave it to her to ask those kind of questions. Now, if you will excuse me, I must return to my duties. If you need anything, flag me down. I'll be more than happy to oblige."

"Thank you."

After Pedro walks away, Alba thinks over the conversation again and chuckles.

But her laughter is cut short by Fran bursting onto the scene in a frantic state.

"What are you doing back here?" Francisco looks like he barely woke up before he came searching for her.

Alba puts a silencing finger up her lips, motioning for him to lower his voice, as she points a finger to Eloise.

"Who is that?" He asks.

"Her name is Eloise. We were both awake so I sat and talked with her for a while."

"That's nice but you don't know that little girl and where are her parents? Shouldn't they be watching her?"

"Her uncle is the conductor and she rides with him on his night shifts."

"What if someone came to murder you and I was on the other end of the car? You should have stayed close by."

"Fran-..." She catches herself about to say his real name. "How could I leave her alone? She's a scared child. I was her once. Alone in the world with no one, my parents died and I was completely lost. But, I was never completely alone. I shouldn't say that... I always had you..." She reaches out her hand for his arm then rests it there. "I'm sorry that I worried you. I woke up not feeling well, became really sick so much so that I had to get to the restroom, and when I came out, she was standing there."

"You should have came back. I'm sorry that I was sleeping so deeply that I didn't notice that you were gone. Anything could have happened to you."

"It's fine. I'm safe. Don't fret. You're only human. You need rest."

Of course Francisco is fretting! He carelessly was sleeping while Alba could've been hurt. What if someone were to grab her and throw her off the back of the train? Francisco would have never been the wiser had he not woke up.

She notes the brooding look on his face.

"Stop overthinking."

"I have a job to do. I'm here to keep you safe."

Eloise's eyebrows knit together to signal that all the talking is about to wake her up.

"I think that we'd better head back to our seats. You might be able to catch a little sleep before our next stop."

"Perhaps."

Alba guides Eloise's head into the chair and follows Fran.

* * *

After Fran and Alba returned to their chairs, Fran did all he could to make her comfortable enough to sleep. It took a little time but he knew it would work. She was too tired for it not to, but since he had gotten some rest, he couldn't go back to sleep. He couldn't even if he had wanted to. The adrenaline pumping through him because of Alba disappearing on him was enough to keep him awake for days.

In his awake time, he is planning and mapping out the course for the next few days. The stops they'll need to make, the trains they'll need to catch, and when they can rest. The only thing that he really has left to ponder on is where is the place to stop for good. Where will Alba feel safe enough to have her baby?

"Are you Ivan?" A small voice asks over Fran's shoulder.

His head turns to see the same small girl from earlier.

"Yes. Who is asking?"

"Me." She replies nonchalantly.

Francisco almost wants to smirk at her blunt reply.

"Is there something that I can help you with?"

"I've been thinking...Irene said that when two people love each so much that they can't hold the love between them any longer a baby is made. So what does that mean? How can you measure how much you love someone?" Eloise challenges Francisco.

What did he just get dragged into?

He's not sure what to think honestly.

How does he respond to that kind of question?

Can you sugarcoat that kind of thing? Or is reality the better option here?

"It's not really about measuring. When you love someone..." His eyes slide over to Alba's sleeping face. She looks so angelic. "When you love someone, that means that you'd do anything to make them happy. You'd go wherever they were, just so you wouldn't be without them. Loving someone means that you'd give up your own happiness to make the person you love happy."

"I don't understand. You two love each other a lot, right? You're having a baby. Aren't you happy?"

Francisco gives a half smile and folds up the map.

"I love her very very much. I'm happy to be here with her right now."

"What about the baby in her belly? Do you like the idea of being a dad? Irene said that she's not sure how you felt about becoming a father because the news came as a shock because she didn't think she could have a baby. But you love each other so, it shouldn't have been a surprise. If you love each other enough to make a baby then you really shouldn't be shocked about there being a baby."

This update comes as a shock to Francisco. He hadn't thought that Alba would be concerned about how he feels about the baby.

Granted there was the initial reaction to the news but that's over with.

It comes to his mind that he's really not expressed it to Alba that he _really _is happy for her. This is something that she wants and he wants her to have all the happiness that this world can bring her.

He came with her on this trip to protect her baby, doesn't that count?

"I'm very happy. I've dreamed about having a family with her many times. I just hope that the baby looks like her because she's so pretty."

How many more questions could this little girl possibly have? It's almost like she's interrogating. Fran tries his best to keep his cool, but he knows that the questions aren't going to end and she's most likely not going away since she's formed an attached to Alba. But he's tired with a headache.

Is this night ever going to end?

"Would you like to sit down next to me?"

A little part of him knows that he's going to regret asking.

"Yes, please." She takes the seat next to Fran and looks at him with big eyes while hugging her doll tight. "Are you gonna protect Irene?"

What kind of question is that?

"As long as I'm around, I'm not going to let anything happen to them."

He's not sure what to do to keep the girl entertained. Children are not his forte.

"Does your doll have a name?"

"I call her Maddie. It's short for Madrid. That's where I wanna go one day. I want to see the city."

"It's not all that it's cracked up to be, Kid." Francisco lights a cigarette. "Besides, it's not even that pretty. There are lots of other places that have better views and not as many people."

"But the schools are good. Aren't they?"

Fran raises a single eyebrow in disbelief that he just heard this child say that.

"You want a better school?"

"I don't mind being home schooled but I only have 3 books to learn from. I've heard that in a proper school there are so many subjects and so many books that you need a bag to carry them all. That sounds delightful to me."

"You're an odd one. Most children want to run and play with their friends."

"I don't really have friends, just my cousins."

"Why is that?"

"I don't know. I guess they think I'm a freak or something."

"Well, aside from your hunger to learn, I don't see anything the matter with you. Maybe they're the freaks and they're just projecting their issues on to you." Francisco admits to himself that he absolutely does not know how to sugarcoat things for kids. He's just gonna be honest and talk to her like an adult. "People are always going to tell you what they think you should do, how you should dress, and how you should think; if you dare to defy their standard, they will think you're different. When people are 'different' others consider them 'weird'."

"There's a boy in my town, his brain doesn't work right and a lot of the other kids are mean to him. Is that kind of what you're talking about?"

It pains Francisco to hear that so much so that his face contorts in an almost painful look.

"Yes. People are cruel to other's who don't think like them. So, it's our job to watch out for those ones. We've got to be nice and be their friend. Can you do that? Will you be that boy's friend?"

"Oh, yes, I am. He helps my grandfather with the farm work sometimes. He pushes me and my cousins on the swings or in the wheelbarrow. It's so much fun."

"I remember doing things like that when I was a kid. We grew up on farms as well but then we grew up and moved to the city. I guess that I can't blame you for wanting to leave your village. I left mine."

"Why did you?"

"So that we could have a better life." Fran blows the smoke out while fiddling with the map.

"And you were happy then?"

"Now, I have a question for you. How about that? If you could go anywhere, besides Madrid, where would you go?"

"If I could speak English, then maybe to America. Or I'd go to Paris if I could speak French."

"But, if you stayed here in Spain, where would you go?"

"Uhm... My family goes to Barcelona sometimes and I really like it. We stay at a place right near the water and we play all day in it."

_"Barcelona?" _Fran hadn't considered there. Another big city?

Would hiding in plain sight be the best option? Or would sticking to small towns cut it?

Francisco breathes a sigh of relief as the next station pulls into view. He reaches over and shakes Alba's shoulder to arouse her from sleep.

It takes a few tries for her eyes to open.

"It's time to get up, Lovely."

Alba is not at all excited about being awake because the returned feeling of sickness in her stomach.

As Francisco stands to start collecting their belongings Pedro returns in search of his niece.

"Well, it has been pleasant meeting you, Miss Eloise, but I'm afraid that next stop is where Irene and I get off."

"I wish you two didn't have to go."

"I wish the same." Alba sits straight up in the chair and pats her hair into place. "But I can say that we've enjoyed our time on this train."

Pedro beckons for Eloise to join him.

"Please, Uncle, let me stay with them until the stop. Can I stay, please?" She looks between Alba and Francisco with pleading eyes.

"I don't think it'll hurt to let the girl stay." Alba smiles.

"Ellie, you're becoming quite the pest and these people are just nice." Pedro mockingly scolds his niece.

You can see it in Alba's eyes that her motherly instincts are kicking in. Francisco just hopes she doesn't react to every child they meet over the next few months. They don't have time for that.

Though Alba feels grateful for the practice in a motherly role. It's not one she thought she possessed.

Francisco and Alba just nod their heads to whatever wild tale that Eloise has to tell over the next few minutes.

It hard to keep up because she starts talking so fast and honestly Francisco wasn't too keen on all the details. His game plan is trying to find the nearest place to sleep and shower.

"Are you familiar with this area, Sir?" Francisco asks Pedro. "Would you know a good place to stay for a few nights?"

"I know a guy. Go to the River's Path Hotel ask for Mateo then tell him that Pedro sent you. He and I go way back. He'll be good to you."

"Thank you so much, Pedro."

The train finally pulls into the station and Fran rises to his feet once again.

"No, thank you. This has been the first time that she's slept during the night in an entire year. I'm not sure that it'll continue but it's a start. Thank you for not getting upset with her, with all her questions. I know that she asks a lot of questions. Thank you for not getting me in trouble for her pestering you. Which I know she was."

"It was good practice for our future." Alba holds out her Fran to help her stand. "I'm sure all little ones have questions. They're learning about the world around them. They wanna makes sense of it all but they'll learn, like we all do, that is never makes sense. You've just got to go with the flow."

"That is correct, Ma'am." Pedro helps Fran carry the bags off as Eloise says her goodbyes to Alba.

Eloise insists on Alba keeping the book, telling her that she just has to know how it ends.

"I will promise to finish the book if you promise me to keep learning all that you can. Never stop learning. Always think for yourself. Learn so much that no one can make decisions for you. Promise?"

"I promise, Irene."

"Be a good girl, alright?"

"Alright."

The small girl squeezes Alba with all her might.

It hurts Alba's heart a small bit.

Obviously Eloise is well taken care of, but if only they could take her with them. Perhaps it's because she reminds Alba of Carlota in a way. Not afraid to speak her mind.

"Good bye, Sweet Little Girl." Alba steps out of the hug and off the train.


	4. Chapter 4

"Sorry about our haste to get to our room. Our train ride was not smooth and we got lost finding our way here. It's been a long night. We missed our first train because my mother wouldn't stop crying over the fact that her only daughter got married. We thought we could still make it to our honeymoon destination in one night but we have been proven wrong. I can't believe I spent the first night of being married on train! So we need a room to ... sleep in." Alba put her hands on Francisco's arm and flashed a small smile at the clerk. Francisco wished she hadn't divulged that information because the sweaty clerk looked as if he could envision what they were supposedly going to be doing.

"Alright, you kids. Don't be knocking holes in the walls." He opens the door then hands Francisco the key. "Have fun. And, if you need any advice I'd be hap-."

"I've got this. Don't worry." Francisco carelessly tosses the bags that he was holding onto the floor inside the room and sweeps Alba off her feet. He turns back to make a final remark to the clerk with a wink. "I know how to handle my woman."

Then Francisco uses his foot to close the door.

For a moment, Fran stands a little stunned that Alba is trying to hold her laugh in.

He made her laugh?

"You don't think I know how to handle my woman?" He lowers her down to her feet.

The laugh slides out after that.

"You make it sound like you're a caveman."

"When it comes to _taking care of_ my woman, I can be rather... caveman-like." He raises an eyebrow at her and she raises one back at him then shakes her head. She puts her suitcase of clothes on the bed then sits down beside it.

"In the morning we'll take a bus somewhere else."

"I thought we were gonna rest for a few days. We'll be fine."

"I'm not so sure, Francisco. What if someone saw us and talked?"

"They might say that we've left but they're not going to know what direction."

She places her hands on her neck and rubs absentmindedly.

"I can help you with that. I'm rather good with my hands." Francisco shoos her hands away and places them over her neck. The muscles beneath are tense and tights. "I bet a warm bath would help a lot too. Would you like me to draw you a bath while you find something comfortable to change into?"

"That'd be wonderful."

Despite his aching body, he stands up and heads into the small bath area. There's not even a door for the room. Nor a toilet. It's a community toilet down the hall. Thank the heavens that at least there's a tub with hot water to it.

He plugs the tub and the water level starts to rise. His fingers wave through the water to check the temperature.

"Now, you can't stay in there too long. I don't want you to fall asleep ... in ... there." Fran walks in on Alba letting her dress fall to the floor. Purple and yellow bruises cover her skin and she looks thinner but with a small, not barely noticeable bump on her stomach. The only reason he could see it is because she looks like she's lost weight.

"I'll try not to. If I'm not out in 20 minutes, come get me. Okay?"

"Okay."

She continues into the bath area.

He makes himself busy by sorting through her luggage to find something for her to sleep in and laying it out on the bed. Since Alba is in the other room, he lights up a cigarette and opens the creaky window. He also makes mental notes of potential escape routes. The window to the outside ground floor is about a 7 foot drop. Not the most advisable plan with a pregnant lady but when you need to save your life, you can't be picky. He recalls seeing a window in the bathroom too but can't remember if it was big enough to fit a person through.

In the modest sized room, one full size bed, a desk with chair, with some magazines and a small radio on the desk. A bureau with a mirror is set beside the door. That could be slid in front of the door in the case that they need to escape out the window. Finally, beside the fire place is a table with two chairs.

He fiddles around with the small radio and finds a classical music station and allows it to play lowly so that they're not sitting in silence. The music does come as a relief, and his cigarette too.

Alba can smell the smoke but doesn't say anything because she's already put Francisco out by uprooting his entire life and having him go on the run with her.

A lesson that he takes a mental note on is to remember to take snacks on their next journey. Going that long without eating couldn't have been good for Alba and her baby. That is the top concern with Fran at this moment, aside from sleep. Sleep is definitely important right now.

He drops his cigarette in the ashtray and rubs at his hairline.

"Alba, are you still awake?" He asks.

"Barely." She weakly replies. "I should probably get out."

While being nosy, he finds extra towels and an extra blanket in the bureau.

That'll come in handy.

Then there's Alba coming out with a towel wrapped around her thin body.

"I left the water in case you wanted a bath."

When she talks, it with such a soft tone that it actually soothes a deep part of Fran.

"Thank you. I would very much appreciate it."

"Could you go on in there so I can get dressed?"

At first, Fran thought she was joking but when she looks at him for an answer he drops the half smile and stands. The thought runs through Fran's head to ask her why he couldn't be in the room where she is getting dressed when they've literally slept together... But he thinks better of it.

"Yeah. Sure."

"Thank you for setting out my clothes."

He strips out of his clothes and neatly piles them on the sink's edge.

He walks out of the bath area with the towel hanging low on his hips while ambling over to his suitcase and crouches down to the floor to shuffle through in search of pajamas.

His bath does not last long seeing as he can barely keep awake.

When he returns to the main area, Alba is already laying down in the bed. Her eyes are shut but she doesn't look very peaceful.

With the spare blanket that he found earlier, he makes a place for him to lay on the floor.

"What are you doing?" Alba asks when she feels him remove one pillow from the bed.

"Making me a place to sleep. Why?"

"Don't be silly. You don't need to sleep on the floor. You've been through enough in the last 12 hours, a decent amount of sleep is due to you." She gets up and pulls the curtains closed tightly to block out the rising sun.

"I don't want to make you uncomfortable. Only if you're sure that you're fine with it."

"Yes. I don't want you to be uncomfortable either."

He sighs in relief and sits on the bed with the pillow still in his hands.

"Thank you, Francisco." Alba whispers while turning off the light. "I appreciate you doing this for me."

"You can thank me by naming the kid after me." He jokes then looks over to see Alba's face. "I was only kidding. Don't name your kid after me. Carlos would probably not appreciate that... Can I ask you something? And if you don't want to answer it, that's fine, but... are you and Carlos really back together? What is your relationship now that you're going to have a child together?"

Remaining silent, she pulls the covers back and slides into the bed.

He assumes that means she doesn't want to talk about it and lays on back with shut eyes.

The mattress isn't too lumpy but it's definitely not the best either or maybe it's just being pregnant that's making Alba uncomfortable. Or maybe it's just Alba. Alba is uncomfortable with herself, her situation, and how she has no control over her own safety. Uncomfortable with her body and how it feels. Everything is changing. Everything is different. Nothing is the same.

Nothing will ever be the same. Ever again.

What if she cane never return to Madrid?

Was keeping this child really the right decision? What if she can't protect it and by keeping it she just endangered it?

"Alba? Why are you crying?" He props himself up on his elbows.

She had realized that she even was. Her cheeks are just wet and her breathing heavy.

"Would you be mad if I told you that I just don't feel safe? Even though you've taken all these precautions, I can't help but feel like we've not done enough. I'm scared to go to sleep now. But I can barely keep my eyes open. I know you're tired too. Everything is just so uncertain."

"For right now, you're safe. I promise." He touches her arm in a reassuring manner. "You don't need to worry right now."

"That's so easy for you to say, but you don't really understand that I'm fighting for my child's life."

"I'm here, am I not? How do I not understand?"

"I just feel so alone. This isn't your child, this shouldn't be your battle. I feel so guilty for making you come with me."

"You didn't make me do anything. I'm a grown man, I make my own decisions... May I hold you? It might help you to fall asleep. Instead of feeling like you're sharing the bed with a stranger. It could make you feel safer."

She holds her silence for a few more moments, which makes him think he's gone too far.

"If you wouldn't mind. I would ... really... appreciate that."

Without a word, he slides his arms around her.

It feels like coming home to him. Like when you've been away from your house for while and you finally get to run in and you see all your favorite things and you feel like everything is okay. Holding her feels so natural, as if his arms were made just to hold her body with his.

Just knowing that she's there where he feels that she belongs, an instantaneous surge of peace flows.

She doesn't know how to admit it, but she does feel safe in his arms.

They quietly scoot closer and closer until her back is to his chest.

He brings his hand up to softly stroke his fingers over her hair.

Why can't they just stay like this forever?


End file.
